The Brother

Chapter 6

Kitty fell to the ground when the considerable weight of the Marshal landed on top of her but before she had time to complain, she heard the loud crack of a rifle followed almost immediately by the sound being repeated a second time. She felt Matt's sharp intake of breath and the thud of impact as the second shot found its target.

"No!" she screamed, trying to wriggle out from underneath him. Her hand reached up and felt the warm stickiness of blood coming from the back of his shoulder.

" Matt?"

"I'm all right," he answered trying to lift himself off of her. "Don't get up, Kitty, just stay low, and work your way over to those bushes." She could feel him tense as he tried to move, and heard a soft groan escape his lips.

He managed to reach his gun and rolled onto his back so that he could see the place where the shot came from. He fully expected another round of shooting to start, but so far he heard nothing.

Kitty could see the extent of the wound in his right shoulder. A spreading flare of crimson was quickly covering the back of his shirt, it was the blue one, the one she liked so much, and the crazy thought ran through her mind that he had probably worn it to please her, the irony of that made her smile. She saw him grip his injured shoulder with his left hand and watched as the red streaks worked their way between his fingers and down the upper part of his arm.

He started to stand, and then they both heard raised voices come from the bushes upstream. She came closer and gripped his good arm. "What's going on Matt?"

"I don't know but you better stay out of sight."

He was walking in the direction of the sounds but before he covered more than three or four steps, someone was walking from that direction towards him. He had his gun ready in his left hand.

"Marshal, Marshal Dillon it's me Wilton Lemay, don't shoot."

The man drew level with him.

"I found my brother, he's back up there with Jerry Jackson and a man named Dragg Billings. He's the one who shot you, Marshal."

"What was your brother doing out here?" Matt raised his hand to his head as a wave of dizziness caught him. Kitty came over to him.

"I think you better sit down, Matt, you're bleeding pretty badly." She pointed to a large sized tree limb lying close by.

He didn't argue, he could feel the warm trickle of blood making its way down his arm.

"It sounds like I need to talk with Mr. Billings," the Marshal told Lemay. "What happened to your brother?"

" Billings hit him over the head with a rifle butt, he's a little groggy right now but I think he'll be all right."

"I'll need to talk to him as well."

While he was speaking Kitty had been busy fashioning a dressing and a makeshift sling from the large checkered napkins that came with the picnic basket. Dillon tightened his jaw as she eased his arm into the sling.

"Sorry Matt, but I think it will better that way – less movement in your shoulder."
"Thanks Kitty, it feels better now."

He experimented a little with the position of his arm and then carefully got to his feet.

"Let's go over to where your brother is Wilton, and let me hear this story for myself."

Slowly they made their way upstream to where Jackson was still holding Billings. By the time they got there the trail boss had the big man hogtied and was trying to help Max over to a tree so he could lean against it. He looked up when he saw the two men approaching.

"Well Matt Dillon, I haven't seen you in a long time, I must have missed you in Dodge – busy paying off my men and all. I'd heard you were a lawman now."

"Good to see you Jerry, Wilton had told me you drove those 3000 head up here from his place in southern Texas."

As he spoke the Marshal walked over to where Billings was tied.

"So what's your name mister?"

Dragg thought about lying for an instant – then he had what he thought was a better idea.

"Dragg Billings Marshal."
"And what are you doing out here."

"I just met up with that man," he indicated Max Lemay, "and rode along the trail with him a while, then he turned off here so I followed and when I saw him raise that rifle and shoot at you. I tried to stop him."

Matt looked at Jackson.
"That's not quite what we saw Matt. When we ran over here, these two men were fighting, Billings here was holding the rifle."

"That's because I had just taken it away from him," Billings explained.

Somehow Matt didn't believe him, but he did not feel like trying to sort it out now.

"I'm taking you both into Dodge and then, when that boy comes to, we can sort it out."
"I'm sure he'll lie to you Marshal," Billings replied smugly.

Dillon was feeling light headed again. His shoulder was pounding and his vision was beginning to blur.

"Jerry, I hate to ask you but would you do me a favor and help me see this man back to Dodge." Jackson had to think for a moment. Although he had never murdered or committed any other major crime he was not a fan of the law. He was used to handling problems that arose between his men on the trail with his own brand of justice and considered the law as an intrusion on his personal affairs.h Still he knew that Dillon was a fair man by reputation and could see that there was no way that the Marshal was going to get Billings back to Dodge without his help.

"Sure Marshal – but then I'm leaving to head back to Texas. Don't want any of my men to hear I've been helping the Kansas Law."

"Wilton," Matt turned to the other man, "I've got a buggy over there where you found us. Go help Kitty pack up our stuff and bring it over here. She can drive your brother back to town. I'll ride his horse if you and Jackson can deal with Billings. Oh and bring that rifle too." He managed to point to the weapon lying on the ground near the hogtied man.

He found a tree to sit and lean against while the men set about taking care of his requests.

Max was still totally out of it by the time the buggy arrived and it took Wilton and Jackson both to get him situated.

"Kitty I want you to take him to Doc's, let's see how bad that head wound is – I need to talk to him."
"Are you planning to ride back?"
"Guess I'll have to, there's not room up there for three, and he's certainly not able to stay on a horse. I'll be fine."

The party finally got mounted up. Kitty could see the pain on the Marshal's face as he put forth all his effort to swing up into the saddle. He sat there for a moment or two trying to gather his senses.

Jackson had untied Billings enough for him to mount up, still protesting his innocence, then the trail boss efficiently secured his hands to the saddle horn so there was no way he could attempt an escape.

Wilton Lemay tied the remaining remuda horse to the back of the buggy and they moved off.

TBC